Well, I did my shahadah six months ago, and I've studied Islam maybe about a year.

Interviewer:

Oh cool, and how did this story happen? Like what motivated you to know about Islam?

Sister Lia:

they got me a Quran. So I started to read it. I wasn't even done with surat number 2 when I knew that I couldn't proceed

OK, I was going to be a Catholic teacher, it was a class I was going to teach, it was called Why Catholic? And I started to prepare myself for this class. Of course we had like 8 months of preparation. So I was studying, and I stumbled upon Islam, and so I started to research Islam.

Then I had a couple of friends who were Muslim but I didn't know they were Muslim. And I told them about my class and how I was studying a little bit of Islam and they got me a Quran. So I started to read it. I wasn't even done with surat number 2 when I knew that I couldn't proceed. I never returned to the church. I never gave the class.

Interviewer:

I was going to ask you, was that Quran in English?

Sister Lia:

It was in English, a Quran with the meanings and translation. I wasn't even done with the second surat, when ...

Interviewer:

You started studying about Quran and about Islam and all these things. And was that online or just like meeting friends? What was the method that you followed?

Sister Lia:

It was online at first, and then I came to the mosque here, and later I met a few friends but it was a total shock to me what I thought was true, to what was actually true.

Interviewer:

Tell us about what were you thnking about the truth and what's your truth right now?

Sister Lia:

As before when I was a Catholic, you know we prayed to virgin Mary or to Jesus to help us to save us in our problems. I never realized it was like I was blind. I just prayed because that's what I was taught. That is what I was taught. And I didn't even know. I'm 40-years old. Can you believe this? I'm forty and I'm barely realizing it.

When I started reading the Quran it brought out something in me. The truth was there, I knew it in my heart. I still had not done my shahadah yet though. When I started to look back again at Christianity, Catholicism in this case, there's a prayer called Hail Mary “Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

She is in fact the mother of Jesus Christ, but she is not the mother of God. I just couldn’t believe what I was praying before. I just couldn't believe I was so blind.

Interviewer:

And now, you came to the mosque and you did your shahadah and that was like six months ago? And then how was your life after Islam? How did you feel first?

Sister Lia:

A lot of them were shocked. Some of them just stopped being my friends because of that, but again some of them just supported me and are happy

When I did my shahadah I felt privileged. I just can't even explain it to you. It was so overwhelming. But it was difficult too, because you have to look at my side. A Catholic before then a Muslim. What am I going to tell my family? How am I going to tell my family? And I did have problems at first.

But now everybody is like used to it and things like that. But it was very difficult, the transition. In my heart I knew, and I knew that I couldn't proceed in Catholicism, I couldn't go back to the church, I couldn't teach that class. It was just amazing.

Interviewer:

Subhanallah, and how was your family's reaction if you don't mind talking about that? How was their reaction when they knew that you became Muslim?

Sister Lia:

They were shocked. A lot of them were shocked. Some of them just stopped being my friends because of that, but again some of them just supported me and are happy.

Interviewer:

Were you married at that time?

Sister Lia:

No.

I'm going to give you a little true short story. I still hadn't done my shahadah. I used to wear shorts. It was nothing to me to wear shorts. I had shorts on and a tank top. I was going to the store. I had already been reading the Quran I think maybe 2 months, and I stopped at the shopping center. I was going to get something, and I took the keys out of the car, opened the door and when I looked down I saw my legs, I felt shy. I felt ashamed. I couldn't get out of the car. I opened the door twice, three times but I couldn't move. I started to wonder what was going on with me, what's happening to me? All of a sudden I felt ashamed from the inside out of what I was wearing.

Do you know that after about ten minutes I couldn't get out of the car that way. I went home crying. And that's what it was. I was Muslim in my heart. I still hadn't realized this.

Interviewer:

Subhanallah, what message would you give to the world after you became Muslim?

Sister Lia:

To the world I would tell, to non-muslims, please look into the religion. Look into your religion that you are in. If you are a Christian, please read. The Bible says clearly: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, and that is not associating partners. Don't just repeat things that are taught to you.

Look for yourself. Learn. Just type in Islam. If you have got a computer, just type in Islam, you will get a bunch of websites such as Infoislam.com for example if you speak Spanish, or watchislam.com where you can watch and learn. Yusuf Estes is really good.

Just research your religion. I mean research it. That's all I can say. Read about it and research it, you will learn

Interviewer:

I feel that there are so many words you would like to say. If you would like to say anything, just look at the camera and go ahead.

Sister Lia:

Well, I feel blessed and privileged. I thank Allah that He has opened my eyes, and that's true, honest from my heart, from the bottom of my heart. If I die today I'll die a Muslim.

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot create polls in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum

Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed herein contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of IslamiCity. This forum is offered to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of being an educational organization.
If there is any issue with any of the postings please email to icforum at islamicity.com or if you are a forum's member you can use the report button.